Ahoy, it’s SNL in Review. Let’s be totally upfront here: tonight’s host, Jon Hamm, has hits. “Jon Hamm’s John Ham.” “Ambiguously Gay Duo” (live-action). “A-holes: Pitch Meeting.” “Trick or Treat.” If we’re being honest, the man has been in more classic moments on Saturday Night Live than several members of the Five-Timers Club. And yet, tonight will only be his fourth hosting gig, and his first in nearly 15 years. Like some stars in the SNL galaxy, he burned bright – three episodes in two years, essentially — then faded away.
Okay, save his many, many cameo appearances. But still, one would’ve thought his chops had him on a Five-Timer trajectory. Maybe his somewhat bumpy post-Mad Men career dimmed his shine a bit. Or maybe he really loved that aughts era cast. Shrug emoji.
But the man is back, courtesy of a new Apple+ show, Your Friends & Neighbors. I am joined again tonight by another bright star in the SNL universe, former cast member Gary Kroeger. He says: “I loved Mad Men. I was in advertising for 17 years after show business, and the circumstances explored in Mad Men still rang true. We used ‘Draper-isms’ in actual pitch meetings. Jon Hamm was spot-on perfection as the archetypal creative executive. And he has proven great versatility, especially with comedy since. He innately understands that comedy requires a serious frame of mind in order to work. I think he is brilliant on SNL, just as I thought on Curb. Jon Hamm playing ‘Jon Hamm’ belongs on a loop at the Smithsonian.”
Lizzo is back tonight as well — it’s also her fourth appearance. Previously, she was the musical guest for Eddie Murphy, Austin Butler — and herself!
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Easter is the celebration of the risen Christ. Narration tells us the story of Jesus and the cleansing of the temple. Cue: Mikey Day as the son of God — as he turns the table over, everything freezes! And Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson) appears for a monologue about the past week. He holds court on his tariffs, his so-called “four-dimensional chess.” The Founding Fathers cold open in January was set up like this, too.
Playful moment alert: Johnson’s Trump pointing out that Emil Wakim should be playing Jesus, but the show was more comfortable with Mikey Day and his blue eyes in the role. Later, he talks about Sarah Sherman’s open mouth and the success of “Miss Eggy” last week. Johnson’s Trump, in all his malevolent chaos, is about to break the fourth wall and act like the show’s own Zack Morris, an ability Kenan Thompson also apparently has. Generally, I think this works.
Gary Kroeger thinks, “SNL is handling our political landscape perfectly. Just as they always have. And they can’t let up. Reality is producing comedy at breakneck speed, and SNL has no choice but to keep pace.”
Springtime in New York City! It’s 41 degrees and damp. Hamm discusses his previous appearances on the show, including his many cameos. Fourteen! He comments on the surprised audience reaction when he pops up on air.
Playful moment alert: he references when monologues go flat, cameos come in handy. On cue, Kieran Culkin (in the audience last week) comes out for some banter. Hamm asserts that Mad Men is better than Succession and wants Culkin’s Oscar.
Paycheck to paycheck business news for normal people! Jon Hamm’s anchor Kenneth bought his suit at Kohl’s. To him and Ego Nwodim, this week’s market dips are hard to follow — instead, they offer practical commentary. Kenneth is not worried about the bond market, for instance, because he does not know what that means. Go back to basics and use bar soap!
Kenan Thompson’s character has consumer tips. He is not eating Captain Crunch anymore. Instead, he’s buying Sergeant Munch — lower rank, lower price.
The “Side Hustle Minute” spotlights Funko dolls!
Eva Clarkson, a councilman’s relative, is missing. Police are serious about cracking the case and mention ordering pizza to settle in for the night at headquarters. Daniels (Hamm) is thrilled — beyond enthusiastic. He acts like a silly kid, and things spiral. This is fine, but it doesn’t land the same as the frenetic videos set behind the scenes at 8H with the guys playing themselves.
Former cast member Victoria Jackson says this is “hilarious. Very funny.”
Michael Longfellow is back in the slimy game show host role. Contestant Paul (Hamm) is very nervous about being here — what if he goes viral and ruins his life? Sure enough, he outs himself as racist. All of his answers are incredibly embarrassing, a total disaster. Ouch! Victoria Jackson shares this “had my husband laughing out loud. Very funny.”
In this White Lotus spoof, Trump is the despairing family patriarch, modeled after Jason Isaac’s Timothy Ratliff. His wife is played by Chloe Fineman, channeling Parker Posey and her popular take on the North Carolina accent.
Then the cameos begin. Scarlett Johansson returns as Ivanka (tapping into Piper Ratliff)! Beck Bennett as Putin! Alex Moffat! (Folks may recall I spoke with Alex about the possibility of him bringing the Trump brothers back to the show this season.)
This is a little on the nose — it somewhat works for fans of the HBO show. Does it work as political satire? I guess. We get brief moments calling back this season’s Thailand setting, grafted over familiar tropes about the Trump family and characters like Marco Rubio. Jon Hamm attempts an RFK Jr. impression. I don’t know; the show could’ve spoofed White Lotus better.
Last month, Lizzo released a disco-infused comeback single, “Still Bad,” a track from her upcoming fifth album, Love in Real Life.
Tariffs! The Chinese Trade Minister Chen Biao (Yang) is back to discuss U.S.-China relations. This is his sixth appearance at the Update desk. He is working on a book, Peasant Elegy, in a funny dig at J.D. Vance. And makes a funny joke about giving Glenn Close an Oscar.
Only 18 percent of young Americans are proud of this country and want to be patriotic. Emil Wakim is conflicted about being in the U.S. with an immigrant dad. He riffs on his interactions with the Uber Eats driver and our own hypocrisy. “I’m part of the problem,” he admits. People aren’t above capitalism just because they live in Brooklyn! “This is hell,” he says — we have M&M stores next to churches. Jost ends the commentary by noting that he looks forward to reading the YouTube comments. I liked this!
Dawn Altman (Sherman) is Jost’s accountant. Next week is Tax Day, and everyone is nervous about the economy. Lots of Jost digs. I did not love this one, but it ends well — Sherman crashes her head through the Update backdrop, finding kidnapped women.
Wow, three commentaries on Update tonight, all tied to the current political moment. Here’s Gary Kroeger: “SNL always handles political satire with great aplomb. Always the right dose of commentary and humor. How could they possibly go too far when reality is already off the charts? And when Stephen Miller says that SNL ‘is where comedy goes to die,’ then you know you are in the right place! What a tired phrase that is — where comedy goes to die — and proof that this administration is as out of touch with issues as they are with the rotation of the earth. My hope is — and I’m pretty sure this will remain true — is that SNL puts their foot on the pedal before ever easing up.”
Side note: Michael Che has a beautiful singing voice.
